The present invention generally relates to pass-through imaging of equine (e.g., horse) feet, and more particularly relates to an equine foot imaging platform that supports the foot being imaged on a turntable that is rotatable by the equine, and related methods.
It is often desirable to image an equine animal's foot for various reasons. For example, it may be desirable to image a horse's foot to determine a proper shoe configuration and/or or to diagnose a disease or other malady. Previous methods for imaging typically include having the horse place the foot on a short post or other pedestal, and then imaging the foot using a portable x-ray source, with the corresponding imaging cartridge arranged behind the foot to be imaged. Typically, the x-ray source's cone of emission is centered some distance above the bottom of the x-ray source unit; however, this cone should be normal the imaging cartridge and generally horizontal for the best results. Thus, if the horse is standing directly on the ground, the x-ray source is too high; as such, the horse's foot is placed on the pedestal in order to raise it. However, farriers and veterinarians frequently experience difficulty both in getting the horse to place the foot on the pedestal and in having the horse remain stationary during the imaging. Further, applicant has discovered that the use of a pedestal results in the horse loading the foot in an unnatural way. As such, there remains a need for alternative approaches to equine foot imaging.